There are a number of enzymes which effect the breakdown of structural proteins and which are structurally related metalloproteases. These include human skin fibroblast collagenase, human skin fibroblast gelatinase, human sputum collagenase and gelatinase, and human stromelysin. These are zinc-containing metalloprotease enzymes, as are the angiotensin-converting enzymes and the enkephalinases.
Collagenase and related enzymes are important in mediating the symptomology of a number of diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (Mullins, D. E., et al., Biochim Biophys Acta (1983) 695:117-214); the metastasis of tumor cells (ibid., Broadhurst, M. J., et al., EP application 276436 (1987), Reich, R., et al., Cancer Res (1988) 48:3307-3312); and various ulcerated conditions. Ulcerative conditions can result in the cornea as the result of alkali burns or as a result of infection by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acanthamoeba, Herpes simplex and vaccinia viruses. Other conditions characterized by unwanted matrix metalloprotease activity include periodontal disease, epidermolysis bullosa and scleritis.
In view of the involvement of collagenase in a number of disease conditions, attempts have been made to prepare inhibitors to this enzyme A number of such inhibitors are disclosed in EP applications 126,974 (published 1984) and 159,396 (published 1985) assigned to G. D. Searle. These inhibitors are secondary amines which contain oxo substituents at the 2-position in both substituents bonded to the amino nitrogen.
More closely related to the compounds of the present invention are those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,599,361 and 4,743,587, also assigned to G. D. Searle. These compounds are hydroxylamine dipeptide derivatives which contain, as a part of the compound, a tyrosine or derivatized tyrosine residue or certain analogs thereof.
Other compounds that contain sulfhydryl moieties as well as residues of aromatic amino acids such as phenylalanine and tryptophan are disclosed in PCT application W088/06890. Some of these compounds also contain i-butyl side chains.
Inhibitors have also been disclosed for the related protease, thermolysin. These include hydroxamic peptide derivatives described by Nishino, N., et al., Biochemistry (1979) 18:4340-4347; Nishino, N., et al., Biochemistry (1978) 17:2846-2850. Tryptophan is also known to be therapeutic in various conditions, some of which may involve collagenase (see, for example, JP 57/058626; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,698,342; 4,291,048). Also, inhibitors of bacterial collagenases have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,034.
It has now been found that the compounds described below have superior inhibiting activity with respect to matrix metalloproteases. The invention compounds add to the repertoire of agents available for the treatment of conditions and diseases which are characterized by unwanted activity by the class of proteins which destroy structural proteins and designated "matrix metalloprotease" herein.